No abstract

The movement demands of the soccer extra time period are unknown despite the importance of this period of play. Data are presented for five English Premier League reserve team players who wore GPS (10 Hz) monitors during an official soccer match that required extra time to be played. Countermovement jump performance (peak power output (PPO) and jump height) and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations were assessed before (-24 h; baseline) and after (+24 h, +48 h) match play. Players covered 14,106 ± 859 m (109 ± 7 m·min(-1)) throughout the game. From 90 to 120 min, 3213 ± 286 m were covered and 12 ± 6 sprints, 221 ± 14 accelerations and 207 ± 16 decelerations occurred. From 105 to 120 min, acceleration and deceleration parameters reduced by >10% compared to the opening 15 min. At +24 h and +48 h, PPO reduced by 416.1 ± 199.9 W (10.9% ± 4.4%) and 155.1 ± 34.8 W (4.1% ± 0.8%), jump heights decreased by 0.064 ± 0.046 m (17.8% ± 11.2%) and 0.025 ± 0.009 m (7.4% ± 3.2%), whereas CK increased by 586.6 ± 85.1 μ·l(-1) (236% ± 92%) and 266.8 ± 134.7 μ·l(-1) (107% ± 89%) versus baseline, respectively. Physical performance markers reduced throughout match play and countermovement jump performance was impaired, while CK remained elevated, for at least 48 h after the game. Interventions which maintain performance throughout a game and which enhance recovery in the days after 120 min of soccer match play warrant further investigation.

Linear and multidirectional acceleration underpins success in professional soccer match-play. However, the physical qualities that determine these performance indicators are poorly understood in elite players. English Premier League players (n=26) performed isometric mid-thigh pulls (IMTP), bilateral and unilateral drop jumps (DJ; from 40 and 20 cm, respectively), bilateral and unilateral countermovement jumps (CMJ) and assessments of linear (5-, 10-, 20-m) and multidirectional (left/right pre-planned and reactive) acceleration. Regression analyses highlighted that 21% of variance in 5-m sprint time (1.02±0.07 s) was explained by relative peak power output (PPO) in bilateral CMJ (54.5±5.3 W·kg). A 5.4 W·kg increase in CMJ predicted a 0.03 s decrease in 5-m sprint time (P=0.02). For 10-m sprint time (1.72±0.09 s), 44% of variance was explained by isometric relative peak force (PF; 30.4±4.9 N·kg) and bilateral relative CMJ PPO (54.5±5.3 W·kg). A 5.4 W·kg increase in CMJ predicted reduced 10-m sprint times by 0.04 s (P=0.01). For 20-m sprint time (2.94±0.11 s), 55% of the total variance was explained by isometric relative PF (30.4±4.9 N·kg) and relative CMJ PPO (54.5±5.3 W·kg). Increases of 5.4 W·kg in bilateral CMJ predicted an improvement of 20-m sprint time by 0.06 s (P=0.002). Contributions were insignificant (P>0.05) for pre-planned and reactive multidirectional acceleration. Relativized indices, especially those related to force production during CMJ and IMTP tests, likely underpin linear but not multidirectional acceleration performance in professional soccer players. When linear acceleration is a training focus, practitioners should seek to monitor CMJ and IMTP test performance.